Fabric dryer with ozone type bleaching system



Jan. 4, 1966 E. D. MOREY 3,226,842

FABRIC DRYER WITH QZONE TYPE BLEAGHING SYSTEM Filed March 6, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 50 OZONE l 4-8 :LIJFL INVENTOR. 46 47 55 59 58 IO EVERETT D. MOREY QQWW HlS ATTORNEY FABRIC DRYER WITH OZONE TYPE BLEACHING SYSTEM Filed March 6, 1963 E. D. MOREY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 4, 1966 BY M F W H\S ATTORNEY FABRIC DRYER WITH OZONE TYPE BIJEACHING" SYSTEM" Everett D. Morey, Louisville; Kyl, 'assignor to General Ele'ctricj Company, a "corporation of New York Filed Mar. 6, 1963, S er. No. 263,259

5 Claims. (CI. 34-72) Thisiinventiori relatesto"fabric dryersandmore particularly" to such dryers which incorporate an ozone generator for providing ozonation of fabrics thereby to bleach them.

Itis known that subjecting many' fabrics to ozone has ableachingeffectl In fact, as set forth in application Serial No. 198,023, filed May 28, 1962, by Loeb et al., and assigned tb GeneralElectric Company, assignee of the present application; use of ozone on fabricshaving a moisture content in the zone corn'rn'onlyv referred to asidarnp-dry hasbeen found to beparticularly eifective. While suchlan approach presents a desirable means for eifectingbleaching of fabrics, sirice itrequires no treating additives and thereby facilitates the operat ors" task, ozone generating equipmentwhich is rapid in its generating actionis" relatively expensive; in thernore economical range of e'qiii-pment, the generation of ozone is not particularly rapid.

For these reasons, it is an object of my invention to provide a fabric dryer whereinconventional heat drying of the clothes may be carried mat the same time that ozone isbeing generated, with the use oftheozone being delayed until a sufficiently high concentration thereof has been created. In this manner, relatively economical equipment mayrbeused for the o zonewgeneration.

Inone aspec t of my invention, I provide a fabric dryer in which afirst ductsystern is in communication with a fabric chamber so as topass air into and out of the chamber. This first duct includes, in the usual Way, heating means so that air passing into the chamber is warm' na causes vapor migration out of the clothes.

Thedryer has an ozone generating system; this includes an ozone generator and astorage receptaclewhich are connected'in a first closed loop so that a fairly substantial amount of ozonized air, comparedto the-"capacityof the generator itself; may he preparedfor use. When o zonation of fabrics inthe chamber is desired, a second:

duct systerriis provided to connec'tthe receptacle andthe fabric" chamber in a M second closed loop, thereby permitting ozonati on of the fabrics in the chamber and consequent bleaching thereof. The first duct system and the first and second-loops are provided with suitable air moving means, so that' airmay be circulated through them under pressure; In combination with the foregoing, I provide valve means whichalternatively closes either the first loop orthesecond loop. This means that the ozone generation proceeds O ll a specified quantity of air during preliminary drying of clothes, and that the ozone generator is then shut' off from the storage receptacle when the receptacleisconnected to the fabric chamber in the second closeddoop.

Thesubject matter which I regard as my invention" is particularly pointed out and" distinctly claimed in the concluding" portion of this specification. My invention, however, both astoorganization and method of operationtogether with further objectsand advantages thereof, may best be understood byreference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. i V

In the'drawings, FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of a domestic clothes dryer which incorporates my in- 3,226,842 Patented Jan. 4, 1966 within a suitable outer casing 3 which encloses it on all sides. The basket specifically comprises a drum-like cylindrical member having a center outer cylindrical wall portion 4, front and rear outer cylindrical wall portions 5 and 6 andfront and rear walls 5a and 6a. The outer cylindrical wall is imperforate over its entire length, and on its interior surface is provided with a plurality of clothestumbling ribs 7. The front of drum 2 is rotatably supported within casing 3 by a pair of idler wheels 8; These wheels are rotatably secured to the top of an upwardly extending member 9'seeured at its bottom to the base 10 of the machine. Rollers 8 are disposed beneath the drum in contact with portion 5 thereof on each side so as to provide a stable support.

The rear end of drum 2 receives its support by means of a stub shaftll extending from the center of wall 6a.

Shaft 11 is secured within a bearing 12 formed in a baflie 13 which in turn is rigidly secured to the back Wall 14 of cabinet 13 by any suitable means such as, for instance, welding. at a number of points 15. By the ar* rangernent shown, thebasket mayrotate on a horizontal axis withrollers 8 providing the front support and the stub shaftll Within bearing 12 providing the rear support.

In order to provide for a stream of drying air through the clothes drum, the drum is provided with a central aperture 16 in its front wall 5a and with an opening in the form of a pluralityof-perforations 17in its rear wall 6a, theperforations in the present case being formed to extend around the rear wall in an annulus.

Baffle member 13 also serves to support'heating means such as electric heating elements 18 appropriately insulated from the baflle member. Heating elements 18 may be annular in shape so asto be generally coextensive with perforations 17 and drum 2. A bafHe member 19 is rigidly secured to the back wall 6a of the drum outside the ring of perforations 17 and within the stationary baflle 13 so that an annular air inlet 20 is in effect formed by baffles 13 and 19. In this manner, a passage is formed for air to enter annular inlet opening 20 between the baffles, pass over the heating elements 18, and then pass through openings 21 in baffle 19, through the perforations 17, and into the interior of drum 2.

The front opening 16 of the drum is substantially closed by means of a stationary bulkhead generally indicated by the numeral 22. Bulkhead 22 is made up of a number of adjacent members including the inner surface 23 of an access door 24, the stationary frame 25 for the door (formed as a flange of the front wall 26 of cabinet 3), the inner surface member 27 of an exhaust duct which is formed by the cooperation of member 27 with front wall 3 exterior of the drum a suitable ring seal 29, preferably formed of felt-like material, is secured to flange 28 in sealing relationship with the exterior surface of the drum wall 50.

Front opening 16, in addition to serving as part of the air flow path through the drum, also serves as a means whereby clothes may be loaded into and unloaded from the drum. Door 24, whose inner surface forms part of the bulkhead closing the opening, is mounted on cabinet 3 so that when the door is opened the clothes may be insorted into or removed from the drum through door frame 25. It will be noted that the door includes an outer flat imperforate section 30 and an inwardly extending hollow section 31 mounted on the flat outer section. Hollow section 31 extends into the door frame 25 when the door is closed, and the door surface 23 which comprises part of the combination bulkhead is actually the inner Wall of the hollow section.

The air outlet from the basket is provided by a perforated opening 32 formed in the inner wall 23 of hollow door section 31. The bottom wall section of door 24 and the adjacent wall of door frame 25 are provided with aligned openings 33 and 34, opening 34 providing the entrance to duct 35 formed by the cooperation of member 27 with front wall 26. As shown, a lint trap 36, which may comprise a fine mesh bag, is preferably positioned in exhaust duct 35 at opening 34, the bag being supported by the door frame 25.

Duct 35 leads downwardly to an opening 37 formed in the member 9 which supports rollers 8. Opening 37 constitutes an inlet for a blower member 33 contained within a housing 39 and directly driven by an electric motor 40. Opening 37 provides the air inlet from duct 35 to blower 38 so that the blower may draw air in through annular inlet 20 over the heaters, then pass it through openings 21 and perforations 17 into the basket, then through the basket, then through the door 24 and openings 33 and 34 into duct 35 to the blower. From the blower, the air passes into an outlet duct 41 which leads out of cabinet 3 through an opening 42, so that the air which has been heated and then passed over the clothes is thus exhausted from the machine 1.

In addition to driving blower 38, motor drives a small pulley 43. A belt 44 extends around pulley 43 and also, as shown in FIGURE 2, entirely around cylindrical wall 4 of drum 2. The relative circumferences of pulley 43 and of wall 4 causes the drum to be driven by the motor at a speed suitable to effect tumbling of fabrics therein. In order to provide proper tensioning of the belt 44 there may be provided a suitable idler assembly 45.

Thus, the air is pulled through drum 2, and at the same time the fabrics in the drum are tumbled. The air is heated by heating elements 18, and the heated air passing through the drum causes vaporization of moisture from the clothes. The vapor is carried off with the air as it passes out of the machine to duct 42. The members for carrying heated air into the drum and for carrying air out of the drum constitute a first ducting system, in contradistinction, as will be explained below, to other ducting systems which form an important part of my invention.

As previously mentioned, it is an important aspect of my invention that ozone be generated in a closed cycle during the initial heat drying of the clothes. This may be effected by an ozone generator such as that shown at 46 (FIGURE 1). Typically, such generators include a pair of large spaced electrodes (not shown) which may have a high voltage drop across them provided by suitable means such as a high voltage transformer 46a; the voltage between the electrodes effects the breakdown and transformation of part of the oxygen molecules in the air passing between the electrodes into ozone, that is, 0 Where the air is quite moist, as in damp climates for instance, it may be desirable to include upstream of generator 46 a conventional air drying structure, as schematically shown at 47. This insures that the air passing between the electrodes of the generator is substantially dry, a condition which is important to the most efficient continued generation of ozone, since otherwise, with too much moisture in the air, there may be are discharge between the electrodes of generator 46, an undesirable condition.

From the ozone generator, there is a connection through a conduit 49 to a storage receptacle 50 which is of relatively large volume, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. Storage receptacle 56 is conneced by a conduit 51 to a blower assembly 52 which may, as shown, be operated by a small additional electric motor 53. From the blower, a conduit 54 leads to a valve 55 having a pair of outlet conduits 56 and 57. While the structural details of the valve are not shown, it is to be understood that it is of the conventional type which alternatively opens one of conduits 56 and 57 into communication with conduit 54 and closes off the other.

Valve 55 may be operated by any suitable structure such as, for instance, a solenoid 58 having a plunger 59 attached to a movable element 60 of the valve. When the solenoid is de-energized, it is in the position shown and valve 55 has a conduit 57 open and conduit 56 closed. When the solenoid is energized, the conduit 57 is closed off and conduit 56 is opened.

Conduit 57 leads back to the air drying structure 47. Thus, an ozone generating system is provided which includes, starting at the air drying structure, air dryer 47, ozone generator 46, storage receptacle 50, blower 52 and valve 55. It will be observed that these elements are connected in a closed loop so that, in response to the operation of blower 52, the air is continuously recirculated. This has the effect of causing the same air to be passed through the ozone generator again and again, with the result that the ozone concentration of the air in the system can be increased to whatever point is desired with a relatively economical generator structure. In connection with this, it is to be understood that substantial amounts of heat are generated in ozone generators, the amount being greater in the more elfective generators. In fact, for highly efiicient ozone generators water cooling is necessary, and this is, of course, expensive, whereas in less effective ozone generators the amount of heat generated is small enough that dissipation of heat by fins to the air is feasible. An important aspect of my invention is the provision of an arrangement which permits use of the latter type of ozone generator, rather than requiring water cooling.

A damper, or valve member, 61 is provided in exhaust duct 41 and is pivotally mounted on a pin 62 so that when a rod 63 is pulled down the damper is moved to closed position, that is, it shuts olf exhaust duct 41, and when rod 63 is moved up the damper is in open position. The position of rod 63 is controlled through a conventional linkage by the plunger 64 of a solenoid 65. Solenoid 65 also is linked to the movable portion 66 of a valve 67 which is normally closed, but which is moved to open position upon energization of the solenoid 65 to pull down plunger 64. Thus, upon energization of solenoid 65, valve member 61 closes duct 41, and the valve 67 opens to permit communication through a conduit 63 between conduit 41 (upstream of valve 61) and the storage receptacle 50.

The conduit 56 from valve 55 extends at its other end into communication with an opening 69 formed in baffle 13 so that air passing through conduit 56 comes out through opening 69. This fluid then may pass thIough openings 21 and perforations 17, the drum 2, and then down through the exhaust duct to the point where it joins with conduit 68. From this point, the air may pass through valve 67 when it is opened, receptacle 50, blower 52, and conduit 54 back to the valve 55.

FIGURE 3 is an electric circuit diagram relating to the control of the solenoids 58 and 65. In this circuit diagram a normally open switch 80 is connected between an electrical power line 82 and one side of the parallel connected Solenoids 58 and 65. The other side of the solenoids 58 and 65 is connected to the electrical power line 84. A timer cam 86 controls the operation of the switch 80. After a period of drying, the timer cam 86 closes the switch 80 (dotted line position) to energize both of the solenoids 58 and 65 and initiate a bleaching cycle. After a certain time the timer cam opens the switch 80 once again to tie-energize solenoids and end the bleaching cycle.

It can be seen from the foregoing that with valve 61 closed, valve 67 open, and valve 55 in the positionwhere conduit 57 is closed off and conduit 56 is open, there is a second duct system provided wherein receptacle 50 is connected in a closed loop with drum 2, and with the blower 52 in series with them so as to force air around in the loop. It will further be seen that, when the air in the storage receptacle 50 has been subjected to substantial ozonizing action by the generator 46, this air will have a substantial ozone concentration, and therefore its passage into the drum 2 will cause a bleaching action on the fabrics in the drum as is well known.

As previously explained, when valve 61 is opened, valve 67 is closed, and vice versa. This means that with a conventional control mechanism, such as that shown in dotted outline in FIGURE 1 by the numeral 70, the valves 61 and 67 may be kept in the position shown during the initial portion of a drying period, and with solenoid 58 de-energized so that valve 55 provides communication between conduits 57 and 54. When heater 18 is energized, this arrangement causes the heat drying operation to be provided, as previously explained. At the same time,air is being passed through the ozone generator to increase the ozone concentration therein.

At an appropriate time during the operation, control 70 causes energization of solenoids 58 and 65. Energization of solenoid 58 opens communication between conduits 54 and 56 and closes off conduit 57. Energization of solenoid 65 closes off the exhaust conduit 41 and opens valve 67. As previously explained, the opening of valve 67 and the closing of valve 61 provides a closed circuit which includes the storage receptacle 50, tumbler 2, and blower 52 so as to circulate ozonated airthrough the tumbler thereby to ozonize the clothes and provide a bleaching effect thereon.

After the bleaching has been carried out for an appropriate period, the control may the cause the valves to return to their initial position so that the heating operation is started up again and ozonation of the clothes ceases, with the ozone generating operation also again starting up. It will be recognized that, of course, this may be provided one or more times during a complete drying operation, depending upon the particular type of fabric being treated, the particular type of heating cycle, etc. The important point is the provision in a dryer of a structure which may simultaneously provide drying of the clothes and ozonizing of air which then is used, when the dryer of the cloths is interrupted, to bleach the clothes.

While in accordance with the patent statutes Ihave described what at present is considered tobe the, preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention. Thus, it is aimed in the appended claims to cover all such equivalent variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A fabric dryer comprising:

'(a) a fabric chamber;

(b) a first duct system in communication with said chamber arranged to pass air into and out of said chamber;

(c) heating means in said system for heating air passing into said chamber;

'(d) 'an ozone generating system including an ozone generator and a'storage receptacle connected in a first loop;

(e) a second duct system connecting said receptacle and said chamber in a second loop thereby to permit ozonation of fabrics in said chamber;

(f) air moving means for passing air through said first duct system and said first and second loops;

(g) and valve means arranged to alternatively close either said first loop or said second loop.

2. A fabric dryer comprising:

(a) a fabric chamber;

(b) a first duct system in communication with said chamber arranged to pass air into and out of said chamber;

(c) heating means in said system for heating air passing into said chamber;

(d) an ozone generating system including an ozone generator and a storage receptacle connected in a first loop;

(e) a second duct system connecting said receptacle and said chamber in a second loop thereby to permit ozonation of fabrics in said chamber;

(f) air moving means for passing air through said first duct system and said first and second loops;

'(g) first valve means arranged to alternatively close either said firs-t loop or said second loop;

(h) and second valve means arranged to close either said first duct system or said second loop so that passage of air through said first duct system may be prevented when passage of air is provided through said second loop.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said fabric chamber includes means for tumbling fabrics therein.

4. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said first duct system is formed to exhaust to atmosphere, said second valve meansbeing positioned downstream of said fabric chamber so as to prevent air passing out of said basket from escaping to atmosphere when said first duct system is closed and said second loop is open.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 1 wherein said air moving means includes a first blower in said first duct system downstream of said fabric chamber for drawing air through said first duct system and a second blower positioned so as to be connected in either said ozone generating system or said second duct system dependent upon the arrangement of said valve means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,434,193 10/1922 Braley 3472 2,397,091 3/1946 Davis 34133 X 2,741,856 4/1956 Hall 34-44 3,065,620 11/1962 Houser 3436 X WILLIAM F. ODEA, Primary Examiner.

NORMAN YUDKOEF, Examiner.

J. P. ROBINSON, JOHN J. CAMBY,

Assistant Examiners. 

1. A FABRIC DRYER COMPRISING: (A) A FABRIC CHAMBER; (B) A FIRST DUCT SYSTEM IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CHAMBER ARRANGED TO PASS AIR INTO AND OUT OF SAID CHAMBER; (C) HEATING MEANS IN SAID SYSTEM FOR HEATING AIR PASSING INTO SAID CHAMBER; (D) AN OZONE GENERATING SYSTEM INCLUDING AN OZONE GENERATOR AND A STORAGE RECEPTACLE CONNECTED IN A FIRST LOOP; (E) A SECOND DUCT SYSTEM CONNECTING SAID RECEPTACLE AND SAID CHAMBER IN A SECOND LOOP THEREBY TO PERMIT OZONATION OF FABRICS IN SAID CHAMBER; (F) AIR MOVING MEANS FOR PASSING AIR THROUGH SAID FIRST DUCT SYSTEM AND SAID FIRST AND SECOND LOOPS; (G) AND VALVE MEANS ARRANGED TO ALTERNATIVELY CLOSE EITHER SAID FIRST LOOP OR SAID SECOND LOOP. 